About Me

Wife to a wonderful husband and mom to a beautiful daughter.
Our daughter is 14 years old, in 8th grade, and has been homeschooled from the start.
I write reviews, host giveaways, and enjoy homeschool life!

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Disclosure

To be in compliance with the recent FTC ruling that bloggers need to disclose if they are being paid or compensated for their posts, the following is my disclosure policy:

Our Homeschool Reviews is a blog written by me, Christine. Its sole purpose is to share homeschooling products and ideas with you.

Our Homeschool Reviews does accept and keep free products from companies and organizations. That being said, I will not be influenced by any form of compensation. I will always write my honest opinions and experiences.

Our Homeschool Reviews has several links to various stores. Some of these links are affiliate links. That means that if you click on them and purchase something using that link I get a *small* percentage of the sale. You do not have to click on them, but you are more than welcome to {and thank you if you do}.

Almost everyone nowadays has some sort of electronic device, whether it's a smartphone, tablet, or eReader. We own three tablets: an original iPad, which is mine and oh so outdated, an iPad 2, which is hubby's, and a newly purchased iPad Mini, which is Funny Bunny's {and also mine...but she doesn't know it}. Ha!Everyone knows you NEED to protect your device or eventually an accident will happen! So we were happy to review a product from Trident Case. We received the KRAKEN A.M.S. CASE FOR APPLE IPAD 2/3/4 for hubby's iPad 2.

If you've never heard of Trident Case, here are some cool facts:
* Tridents Case products are made in the USA* The plastic is degradable, compostable and recyclable* Their products support the following products {and several more}: Apple, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG, Nokia, and Sony.
Here's what's really special about these cases. The Kraken A.M.S. Cases meet Military Standard MIL-STD-810F for vibration, dust, sand, rain, and drop. That's basically saying they are kid proof!!Drop - 26 drops onto concrete from 4ftVibration - from 20-2000Hz across 3 different axes for a total of 18 hoursDust - blow dust for 3 hours at 29 ft / secSand - blow sand for 3 hours at 59 ft / secRain - 7.9 inches per hour of rain at 40 mph wind velocity for 1 hourNow I have no way to prove their findings but maybe your child can. ;)These cases also have a shock-absorbing silicone inner layer, covered by a hardened polycarbonate outer-casing, with a built-in screen protector, to provide maximum protection.

As I said before, we received the KRAKEN A.M.S. CASE FOR APPLE IPAD 2/3/4. Each Trident Case is available in at least five different color options. We chose black, but could have selected from blue, pink, red, Trident green, purple, orange, or maroon.It was simple to put on and only took me a few minutes {and without the help of hubby}. I was proud of myself!

My Thoughts: The Kraken AMS Case is definitely durable and sturdy. In my opinion it could take the beating that a family with children could give it. I'm sure it could survive being dropped and banged multiple times.It is a little heavier and bulkier than some of the other cases on the market, but you are getting added protection, so to me it was not a big deal. It wouldn't stop me from purchasing it.
I wasn't sure how well the screen would work with the screen-protector, but it works just fine and I haven't had any problems with it.

My only gripe is that for the price, it does not come with a stand. For $19.95 you can purchase a Tablet Stand and Holder but I felt like if I am already paying $69.95, it should come with it. Hubby found himself propping it up on a pillow when he was in bed so he could read or watch a movie.

All in all though, I would recommend Trident Case and the Kraken AMS Case. And did I mention that I already own a Trident Case for my LG phone? I had researched the most recommended case about a year ago and I love it!

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

We are always on the lookout for business opportunities in our family. Funny Bunny has made bead jewelry and crafts in the past and has done well selling them to friends and family. I've also had my hand in making and selling hair accessories and various crafts. One thing we have learned from these experiences is that we enjoy making and selling things together.

Starting a Micro Business for Teens is geared for ages 10-18. Funny Bunny and I read through this book together. It includes a wealth of information and I was happy that it was simple enough for pre-teens and teens to understand but great for adults too.

It gives great information and tips, as well as examples of the businesses actual teens have started. Funny Bunny really enjoyed reading about other teens.

Running a Micro Business for Teens is all about...you guessed it...running a Micro Business for teens. :) This book really gets into sales, marketing, customer service, record keeping, and more.

Funny Bunny and I have read most of it together but we are not quite to the point of running our business so we slowed down a bit.

The Micro Business for Teens Workbook goes along with both Starting a Micro Business for Teens and Running a Micro Business for Teens and will help put into place what you have learned.

Since we received the e-books, I selected several worksheets from the Business Plan for Funny Bunny to complete.

For her to be able to answer the questions, she really had to take a harder look into what she wants to do.

Funny Bunny had many business ideas, several of them having to do with dogs. She loves our dog Maisy and all dogs are special to her.

She narrowed her choices down to having her own Dog Treat Business. I'm thinking she should combine it with dog walking or pet sitting, but right now she wants to try her hand at making and selling dog treats.

We were able to find a very simple recipe using ingredients we already had on hand and some cookie cutters we own. This way we could test out a recipe without being out of pocket.

Then we tried them out on our dog Maisy. She loved them of course! She was being very patient in this picture.

And tried them out of the two dogs across the street, Ace and Junior. They seemed to like them too. They were not as patient...lol!

We still have some more things to work out, like the packaging, labeling, and advertising, but this was a start. I'm hoping to post an update once we get things up and running.

Thoughts of an 11-Year Old: Micro Business for Teens is a great step-by-step guide for teens and tweens to learn how to easily start up a micro business. These books really help you start a micro business, keep it going, advertise it, and avoid financial problems, as well as giving examples of other teens' businesses. I think more teens and tweens will be able to start a micro business after reading Micro Business for Teens!

Monday, May 19, 2014

For the most part my meals were pretty boring this week, but we did get a chance to eat out a few times. We just love eating at Your Pie and veggies are free so you can see below I like to load them on! Here's my no cheese, whole wheat, veggie pizza.

Last night we decided to do a fruit and veggie tray for dinner, along with homemade sushi rolls and pitas with hummus. These were hubby's first three rolls...they got better as he made more. Mine had cucumber and avocado. Yum!

Monday, May 12, 2014

This weekend we took a 3-day trip to Disney and I tried my very best to eat plant-based. I didn't eat perfect by any means, but I just wanted to show that you can eat healthy while on vacation, even at Disney. Below is the rundown of my weekend meals while away. For breakfast I ate fruit and I did bring a couple raw granola bars for snacks. I also had samples of Funny Bunny's and hubby's desserts!! :)

Maestro Classics has created a classical music CD series for children ages 5 to 12 and their families. The series includes narration and performances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra along with child friendly stories and explanations.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel is a fun story about Mike and his steam shovel Mary Anne. Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne have worked together for a long time and have dug trenches and canals through mountains and have made airports for the planes.

But when the new gas shovels and the new diesel shovels and the new motor shovels took the place of the steam shovels, will Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne be able to find any more jobs where no one wants them anymore?

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is about a magician and his young apprentice Fritz. The sorcerer has only done magic in front of Fritz once, to bring water to the well. But he has ordered Fritz to do no magic. One day, the sorcerer goes out, telling Fritz to bring water to the well. Fritz tries the spell, but soon water is everywhere and it's out of Fritz's control, only knowing one magic spell. How will Fritz solve his problem?

We listened to both CDs multiple times in the car. Both come with a 24-page activity book that includes biographies, sheet music, information on instruments, games, and more.

My Thoughts: These CDs are great for young and old alike! I love how they mold children's literature with classical music in a way that is enjoyable for kids of all ages. And the booklets that are included have a wealth of information. Funny Bunny enjoys reading through them while the CD is playing.

Thoughts of an 11-Year Old: I didn't have a favorite between the two. I liked both the Sorcerer's Apprentice story and the Mike Mulligan music. I guess that makes them even. But I did like, in Mike Mulligan, how they interpreted their music. If you'll listen closely when they talk about Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne digging huge canals, for instance, they play a mix of "Eerie Canal" and "What Should We Do with a Drunken Sailor". And, of course, if you've seen Disney's Fantasia, you'll guess why I like the "March of the Brooms" song in the Sorcerer's Apprentice!Find Out More: You can find more online at Maestro Classics. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and The Sorcerer's Apprentice are each $16.98 for the CD or $9.98 for the MP3 download. Mike Mulligan is recommended for ages 4+ and families and The Sorcerer's Apprentice is recommended for ages 6+ and families.